Does true love exist? Can you dig safely out a million pounds of dirt from under your house? Can you win a dinner party in 8 and a half minutes?
Mubarak Reveals Real Reason for Resignation
Ever look at Mubarak closely? In this special feed audio direct from Egyptian State TV, we discover what really motivated the 82-year old dictator to step down.
Hard Times: Marshelle Mills
Marshelle Mills is a mother of three. Her husband works for LAUSD and — until recently — she worked in child development. She's been unemployed for some time, and she's even gotten a few job offers — offers that she says she was forced to decline.
“I have three kids. Rebecca, she’s seven. My son Austin is three years old — he’s autistic, really sweet, really sensitive. And I’ve got the mean one, A.J. He’s one. A.J. is bad to the bone," said Marshelle.
Marshelle was pregnant with her youngest son when she found out she was laid off. “It was heartbreaking. I don’t want to sound over dramatic, but to me losing a job was a little bit like what I imagine going through a divorce is when you love what you do. And I loved what I did,” said Mills.
The toughest aspect of unemployment for the Mills family was the lack of affordable child care, previously provided by her former employer. With three young kids, it weighs heavily on their decision making.
"For child care per week, it's about 300 dollars a week, so about 1200 dollars a month. And frankly I don't pay that much for rent," said Mills. "That's just for a child care center certified by the state of California. That just means if they do something inappropriate, there's a watchdog. There's rules on the education level, there's rules on how many adults need to be in the room. My very fist administrative job in child care was an unlicensed facility, and that meant I'd literally be alone with 50 children. There were no rules."
"I’ve gotten some offers. Not great. My husband and I sat down and did the math," said Marshelle. "What would we make? What would the expenses be? Transportation? Wardrobe? On my best offer, we find out that I would save 100 dollars a month staying home. And frankly my kids were happier when I’m at home, it just made sense."
Marshelle remains optimistic about the future, “I think I’m good at my job, and I desperately want to go back. I just know that that the only way I’m going to be competitive is to get education, and so I’ve got to bide my time,” said Mills. “And if I’m going to bide my time to get the education I need, I have to choose not to be bitter and enjoy the moments I have with my kids at home.”
Voluptua — TV love goddess's reign lasted less than 2 months
UPDATE 1/4/2013: We just learned that Gloria Pall died on December 30. RH Greene filed this piece for Off-Ramp's Valentines Day episode in 2011.
RH Greene tells us about Voluptua, a short-lived 1950s local tv sensation, branded "Corruptua" by Christian protest groups.
Questions arise as attention for great hole of Sierra Madre grows
If you read the LA Times Monday morning perhaps you saw a nice profile on Jeffrey Hildreth, the man who's dug a nearly 1800 square foot hole underneath his Sierra Madre home. Eventually he wants to construct a wine bar and art gallery there, but he's run into some trouble with the city as of late. Off-Ramp producer Kevin Ferguson broke the story last month, and he joins John with the story's latest.
Click here to see more photos of Jeffrey's project!
Valentine's Day: We figure out how to balance love and commuting
KPCC's Karen Fritsche faced a common LA dilemma - how do you manage your love life in SoCal, where dating can involve hours of driving? Karen came up with a scientific solution.
(Since this piece originally aired in 2009, Karen found true love, married him, and had a baby. So: her system worked.)
For Valentine's Day
Marc Haefele tells us that the Romans didn't think Cupid was so cute.
Vox Pop: One true love?
Off-Ramp intern Bridget Read asked passers-by one of the eternal questions: "Is there one, and only one, true love per person?"
(For Mary and Nick Roman, KPCC's Senior News Editor, it's been 25 years! Photo by Patricia Nazario.)
Something Fishy
It's a good thing opponents of same sex marriage aren't fish.
Commentator Milton Love explains the "non-traditional" sex lives of fishes.
Dinner Party Download shoots from the hip with Chris Burden
This week, with hosts Rico Gagliano and Brendan Newnam: Artist Chris Burden revokes your driver's license... We look back on the biggest little wedding of the 19th century... And the "Sushirrito" is born. Plus, PJ Harvey's new tune kills, and Weird Al Yankovic makes a rare foray into comedy.
Shopping for a Honeymoon
UPDATE: Eve and Rico got married and honeymooned in Europe, but we still like their piece from March 2010.
You can window shop for most of the things you need for a wedding… but what about a honeymoon?
Well Dinner Party Download co-host Rico Gagliano is getting married and he and his fiance Eve Troeh, a producer at Marketplace Money, have the answer: the LA Times Travel and adventure show. They found it at the LA Convention Center.